Exhibit A: The centres on the Winnipeg Jets, who have collectively won 41.1% of their faceoffs this year.

Starting too often without the puck has contributed to the Jets getting outshot in each of their first three games and its an issue everyone wants to rectify quickly.

But don't pin the responsibility all on the players who take the draws.

"That’s a five-man job, not just the centres," Jets defenceman Mark Stuart said. "In this league, centres are so good, a lot of draws are basically ties and it’s the other players who help out their centres, those are the teams that are winning draws. It really is as a unit winning draws collectively."

While Stuart has the right of it, Jets centres Jim Slater (45.4%) Bryan Little (36.8%), Olli Jokinen (47.3%) and Mark Scheifele (31.6%) all want to do better.

"It’s one of those things where sometimes it takes a while to get back into it," Little said. "The last three games have been pretty difficult but I’ve been trying to work on it and get better at it. Switching conferences this year we’re seeing a lot of different guys so it takes a while to get used to other guys’ tendencies."

Jets coach Claude Noel says the faceoffs are a just part of the kinds of puck battles you have to win in every game to have success.

"It's a battle area," he said. "But it's not only the centre. It's a reflection of your team battles, your wingers and defence, everybody helps out."

Slater agreed that centres have to do a better job of tying up sticks and the other players on the ice need to do a better job of finding loose pucks.

"The thing I've found different about this year with the teams we've played is everyone's good at faceoffs all the way down, all four guys," Slater said. "We've got to get that mindset that it takes five guys to win the faceoff because other teams are doing it and we've got to be able to get those ones that are tied up."

THORBURN HURTING

Right-winger Chris Thorburn skated on his own while the rest of the team practiced Tuesday at the IcePlex in preparation for Thursday's game at Minnesota.

Noel gave an unusual answer when asked for an update on Thorburn, who was replaced by Anthony Peluso in the lineup on Sunday.

"He's day-to-day, with an injury that depends (on) which way he's doing whatever," Noel said. "It could be lower body, mid-body, depends."

Alright then.

HALISCHUK SIGHTING

Forward Matt Halischuk, who has been a healthy scratch for three games, skated in a rotation with Peluso and James Wright on the fourth line alongside Slater on Tuesday.

Halischuk says he is patiently waiting for his opportunity to get in the lineup and show what he can do.

"It's kind of out of my hands," Halischuk said. "I just try to work hard in practice and stay as ready as possible. I've got to be ready to go when I get a chance to go in."

When asked if he'd like to get Halischuk, signed as a free agent in the off-season, into the lineup soon, Noel said: "I would."

Noel refused to say if backup goaltender Al Montoya would start Thursday in Minnesota or Friday at home against Dallas, but there's a good chance that will happen in one of the back-to-back games.

Winnipeg Jets trying to draw up new plan for winning faceoffs

Exhibit A: The centres on the Winnipeg Jets, who have collectively won 41.1% of their faceoffs this year.

Starting too often without the puck has contributed to the Jets getting outshot in each of their first three games and its an issue everyone wants to rectify quickly.

But don't pin the responsibility all on the players who take the draws.

"That’s a five-man job, not just the centres," Jets defenceman Mark Stuart said. "In this league, centres are so good, a lot of draws are basically ties and it’s the other players who help out their centres, those are the teams that are winning draws. It really is as a unit winning draws collectively."

While Stuart has the right of it, Jets centres Jim Slater (45.4%) Bryan Little (36.8%), Olli Jokinen (47.3%) and Mark Scheifele (31.6%) all want to do better.

"It’s one of those things where sometimes it takes a while to get back into it," Little said. "T